September marks a transition for marketers. Plans are moving into execution, and the year’s biggest stretch of shopping activity is still ahead.
It’s a strong time to put digital promotions to work this fall. Shopping creates opportunities to build on purchase activity, micro-occasions give brands more moments to activate, and Halloween gives brands a timely way to grow their audience before Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the holiday rush.
This month, we’re looking at practical ways to make each one count.
5 Ways to Build on Shopper Activity
The fall shopping calendar gives brands more than one purchase opportunity to work with. Seasonal stock-ups, new product launches, game-day shopping and early holiday buying can each support a different promotional objective.
The opportunity is to decide which shopper behavior matters most, then build the promotion around it.
Here are five ways to do that.
1. Own the Seasonal Stock-Up
Think beyond a single product.
Game day, Halloween, Friendsgiving, holiday entertaining and other seasonal occasions often involve consumers buying across multiple products or categories. A promotion can be structured around a qualifying basket or product combination that connects those purchases to a larger occasion.
For brands with complementary products or portfolios, that creates an opportunity to encourage consumers to build more of the occasion around the brand.
2. Give Fall Products an Extra Push
September brings fall launches, seasonal varieties, limited editions and the first wave of holiday products to shelves. A purchase-based promotion can give shoppers an added reason to try something new or choose a priority product.
Tie the qualifying purchase to a sweepstakes, instant win opportunity or reward to help drive trial and product choice.
3. Turn Fall Retail Traffic Into Brand Engagement
Fall brings seasonal products, game-day purchases and early holiday shopping across retail channels. A purchase-based promotion can turn that retail activity into direct engagement with your brand.
Connect a qualifying purchase to a branded promotion through receipt validation, unique codes or another verification method, giving shoppers a reason to engage beyond the transaction.
4. Give Shoppers a Reason to Come Back
September sits amid a long stretch of seasonal shopping, with game days, Halloween, Thanksgiving and holiday purchases following one another over the next several months.
A multi-week purchase-based promotion can build on that repeat activity, giving shoppers additional opportunities or rewards for qualifying purchases and another reason to choose the brand the next time they shop.
5. Build Loyalty Before the Holiday Rush
September gives brands an opportunity to strengthen loyalty before Black Friday, Cyber Monday and holiday shopping accelerate.
Use qualifying purchase activity to give existing members access to exclusive rewards or promotional opportunities, while giving new customers a reason to join and stay connected through the months ahead.
Compliance Check: Build in the AMOE
If a sweepstakes includes a purchase-related entry method, it must also offer a free Alternate Method of Entry (AMOE). The free method must provide the same opportunity to enter and win, and a purchase cannot improve the odds of winning.
Plan the AMOE from the start and clearly address it in the Official Rules.
Read the No Purchase Necessary Guide →
Don’t Overlook the Micro-Occasion
Some of the best fall promotion opportunities are built around the moments consumers already make time for.
Micro-occasions give brands a chance to connect with a specific behavior or experience that feels natural for the audience and the brand
Friendsgiving: Invite consumers to share a favorite dish, table, tradition or story for a chance to win. A UGC sweepstakes builds participation around something guests are already creating, sharing and celebrating.
Game Night: Bring the promotion into the fun with branded trivia, challenges, digital games or an instant win experience tied to the occasion, product or brand.
Movie Night: Build around the stock-up. Snacks, candy, beverages or other complementary products can become part of a qualifying purchase, turning the whole occasion into a purchase-based promotion.
Micro-occasions give brands more ways to be relevant without waiting for the next major date on the calendar.
Make Halloween Work Beyond October
Halloween comes at a valuable point in the fall calendar. A promotion can build on the participation already happening around the holiday while helping brands grow an audience they can continue engaging through Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the holiday season.
The opportunity is to make Halloween relevant to your brand, even when the connection isn’t obvious.
Our latest article has six promotion ideas for finding your way in.
Find Six Halloween Promotion Ideas →
Build From What’s Already in Motion
September calendars are full. Consumers are already shopping differently, settling into fall routines and looking ahead to the biggest buying season of the year.
The opportunity is to use a promotion where it can change the behavior that matters, whether that’s product choice, another purchase or a new connection with the brand.
US Sweepstakes can turn that opportunity into a fully executed promotion, bringing together the technology, Official Rules and compliance, administration, winner management and prize fulfillment needed to make it happen.
